Rupandehi/Palpa, July 16:

Demanding the government to enforce the decision to provide 45 per cent discount to tudents on transport fares, students brought traffic to a halt all over the Lumbini zone today.

Traffic was brought to a halt to draw the attention of the government to our demands, said chairman of the Rupandehi district chapter of the Nepal Students’ Association Prakash Rana.

The transport disruption has hit travellers, industries and educational institutions. President of the West Nepal Bus Entrepreneurs’ Association Tulsiram Banjade said both long and short-route buses remained off the road. He said the government should exempt tax before calling transporters to give 45 per cent discount to the students. In Bhairahawa, a meeting held among transporters, police, administration, students and other stakeholders to end the deadlock ended inconclusively. Meanwhile, a report from Palpa district said students staged a sit-in outside Tansen-based Palpa District Administration Office today, demanding action against transport workers, who beat up some students recently for demanding discount on transport fares.

Palpa district remained tense for the fourth consecutive day, with students continuing to stage protest rallies. Personnel of the Armed Police Force were deployed in Tansen bazaar to ward off untoward incidents.

Students organised protest rallies in Gulmi against the beating up of students in Palpa. Students also staged a protest rally in Arghakhanchi. Vehicles remained off the roads in Palpa, Gulmi, Arghakhanchi and Syangja. In Gulmi, students of Ruru Sanskrit Campus held protest rallies and organised corner meetings. They demanded action against the guilty.

Demanding punishment for the guilty, Nepal Press Union Palpa called for the creation of a conducive environment to facilitate talks between students and transporters.